COURSE of the MONTH

Menu item with graphic?

I am using Borland C++ Builder v3.0 (standard edition). I would like to have bitmap images next to my menu items. For example look at your internet browser's menu bar click on File, well I would like to have a small image next to the exit command in my program. I know this is possible, I have seen it in Bug Collector Pro (www.nesbitts.com).

Who is Participating?

Take a look at ModifyMenu, that will do the work. You can get the menu handle by GetMenu, and modify it with ModifyMenu with the CF_BITMAP flag

The ModifyMenu function changes an existing menu item. This function is used to specify the content, appearance, and behavior of the menu item.
Windows 95 only: The ModifyMenu function has been superseded by the SetMenuItemInfo function. You can still use ModifyMenu, however, if you do not need any of the extended features of SetMenuItemInfo.
BOOL ModifyMenu(

HMENU hMnu, // handle of menu
UINT uPosition, // menu item to modify
UINT uFlags, // menu item flags
UINT uIDNewItem, // menu item identifier or pop-up menu handle
LPCTSTR lpNewItem // menu item content
);
Parameters
hMnu
Identifies the menu to be changed.
uPosition
Specifies the menu item to be changed, as determined by the uFlags parameter.
uFlags
Specifies flags that control the interpretation of the uPosition parameter and the content, appearance, and behavior of the menu item. This parameter must be a combination of one of the following required values and at least one of the values listed in the following Remarks section.

Value Meaning

MF_BYCOMMAND Indicates that the uPosition parameter gives the identifier of the menu item. The MF_BYCOMMAND flag is the default if neither the MF_BYCOMMAND nor MF_BYPOSITION flag is specified.
MF_BYPOSITION Indicates that the uPosition parameter gives the zero-based relative position of the menu item.
uIDNewItem
Specifies either the identifier of the modified menu item or, if uFlags is set to the MF_POPUP flag, the handle of the pop-up menu.
lpNewItem
Points to the content of the changed menu item. The interpretation of this parameter depends on whether the uFlags parameter includes the MF_BITMAP, MF_OWNERDRAW, or MF_STRING flag.

Value Meaning

MF_BITMAP Contains a bitmap handle.
MF_OWNERDRAW Contains a 32-bit value supplied by an application that is used to maintain additional data related to the menu item. The value is in the itemData member of the structure pointed to by the lparam parameter of the WM_MEASUREITEM or WM_DRAWITEM messages sent when the menu item is created or its appearance is updated.
MF_STRING Contains a pointer to a null-terminated string (the default).
Return Values
If the function succeeds, the return value is TRUE.
If the function fails, the return value is FALSE. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
If ModifyMenu replaces a menu item that activates a pop-up menu, the function destroys the old pop-up menu and frees the memory used by it.
The application must call the DrawMenuBar function whenever a menu changes, whether or not the menu is in a displayed window. To change the attributes of existing menu items, it is much faster to use the CheckMenuItem and EnableMenuItem functions.
The following list describes the flags that may be set in the uFlags parameter:

Value Meaning

MF_BITMAP Uses a bitmap as the menu item. The lpNewItem parameter contains the handle of the bitmap.
MF_BYCOMMAND Indicates that the uPosition parameter specifies the identifier of the menu item (the default).
MF_BYPOSITION Indicates that the uPosition parameter specifies the zero-based relative position of the new menu item.
MF_CHECKED Places a check mark next to the item. If your application provides check mark bitmaps (see the SetMenuItemBitmaps function), this flag displays a checked bitmap next to the menu item.
MF_DISABLED Disables the menu item so that it cannot be selected, but this flag does not gray it.
MF_ENABLED Enables the menu item so that it can be selected and restores it from its grayed state.
MF_GRAYED Disables the menu item and grays it so that it cannot be selected.
MF_MENUBARBREAK Functions the same as the MF_MENUBREAK flag, except for pop-up menus where the new column is separated from the old column by a vertical line.
MF_MENUBREAK Places the item on a new line (for menu bars) or in a new column (for pop-up menus) without separating columns.
MF_OWNERDRAW Specifies that the item is an owner-drawn item. Before the menu is displayed for the first time, the window that owns the menu receives a WM_MEASUREITEM message to retrieve the width and height of the menu item. The WM_DRAWITEM message is then sent to the window procedure of the owner window whenever the appearance of the menu item must be updated.
MF_POPUP Specifies that the menu item is a pop-up item; that is, selecting it activates a pop-up menu. The uIDNewItem parameter specifies the handle of the pop-up menu. This flag is used to add a pop-up item to a menu bar or to a pop-up menu.
MF_SEPARATOR Draws a horizontal dividing line. This flag is used only in a pop-up menu. The dividing line cannot be grayed, disabled, or highlighted. The lpNewItem and uIDNewItem parameters are ignored.
MF_STRING Specifies that the menu item is a text string; the lpNewItem parameter points to the string.
MF_UNCHECKED Does not place a check mark next to the item (the default). If your application supplies check mark bitmaps (see the SetMenuItemBitmaps function), this flag displays an unchecked bitmap next to the menu item.
The following list shows groups of flags that cannot be used together:
7 MF_BYCOMMAND and MF_BYPOSITION
7 MF_DISABLED, MF_ENABLED, and MF_GRAYED
7 MF_BITMAP, MF_STRING, MF_OWNERDRAW, and MF_SEPARATOR
7 MF_MENUBARBREAK and MF_MENUBREAK
7 MF_CHECKED and MF_UNCHECKED